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Gieser
Jeremy Enlow

Baseball

Long-awaited baseball season begins this weekend

ABILENE – Well, it took long enough. After a pandemic shut down the 2020 season and we endured the longest off-season in recent memory, Mother Nature decided to push the baseball season-opener back another day with an unprecedented storm in Texas. But, 346 days later, we made it to the finish line. The 2021 Abilene Christian baseball season begins Saturday at the beautiful friendly confines of Crutcher Scott Field. ACU will host the Tarleton State Texans of the Western Athletic Conference, a former and future rival of the Wildcats. The teams will renew a long-time Division II clash that will continue into the future when ACU joins the WAC in July. The weather pushed the series to a doubleheader on Saturday in Abilene, and a single-game on Sunday in Stephenville.

FOLLOW THE SERIES

SERIES HISTORY

ACU leads the all-time series, 57-47, as the teams get set for their 105th meeting, but their first since 2013. ACU moved up to NCAA Division I before the 2014 baseball season, and Tarleton moved up in 2020. The teams meet for the first time as members of D1. They first met in 1991 and ACU won the last contest on April 21, 2013.

THE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1: RHP Spencer Chirpich (ACU) vs. LHP Alex Pinedo (TSU)

Game 2: RHP Genner Cervantes (ACU) vs. RHP Zach Gagnon (TSU)

Game 3: LHP Adam Stephenson (ACU) vs. RHP Bryce Hackett (TSU)

ACU STORYLINES

  • SCHEDULE CHANGE: Because of winter weather, the original series shifted from three games in three days to a doubleheader Saturday and a single-game Sunday. The doubleheader will be a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning affair.
  • NEW SOUTHLAND SLATE: The Southland Conference added an extra game to each weekend series, giving ACU and the rest of the league 40 games in 2021. Each weekend will contain a single-game Friday and Sunday, and a doubleheader on Saturday.
  • OLD RELIABLE ON OPENING DAY: Senior Spencer Chirpich gets the ball on Opening Day for the Wildcats and third-year head coach Rick McCarty. Chirpich made two starts in a shortened 2020 season, going 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA. The Minnesota native appeared in four games throwing 11 innings.
  • FIRST CAREER START IN GAME 2: Genner Cervantes appeared in three games out of the bullpen last season, and will make his first start as a Wildcat Saturday in Game 2 of the series.
  • LEADING RETURNERS: Tommy Cruz is the leading returner in batting average from the 2020 season, hitting .313 in 15 games. Cameron Cromer recorded a team-high 60 at-bats and scored 10 runs. Colton Eager returns in the outfield and hit .304 with a team-high 17 hits and 8 RBI.

SCOUTING TARLETON STATE

  • The Texans were picked ninth in their debut in the WAC preseason poll. Head coach Aaron Meade enters his second season for Tarleton after going 14-10 last season.
  • First baseman Blake Burns was named preseason all-WAC.